Kwara 2027: The Cold War Between Governor AbdulRazaq, Senator Mustapha Deepens

By Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

The cold war between the senator reresenting Kwara central senatorial district at the National Assembly, Senator Saliu Mustapha, and Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, over who will succeed the governor in office in 2027 has deepened. The political battle has brought the politics of succession to the front burner of political discourse in the state as political analysts and pundits now beam spotlight on the 2027 governorship race and likely flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress.

The cold war between the two APC leaders, was believed to have led to the removal of billboards erected by Senator Mustapha to greet all Christian faithful during Christmas and new year celebrations in the state.

Among Mustapha’s billboards removed at strategic locations in Ilorin include those mounted at Taiwo/Unity Road Junction, Police ‘A’ Division, Maraba, and the Tunde Idiagbon International Airport exit gate.

Political observers fear that the deepening cold war will snowball into a clash of political titans in view of the present situation in the ruling APC in the state.

Senator Mustapha, who is the Turaki of Ilorin Emirate, hails from Ilorin East local government council of the state, while Governor AbdulRazaq, who is the Sardauna of Ilorin Emirate, hails from Ilorin West local government area of the state. The two local government councils fall within the Kwara central senatorial district of the state.

According to THISDAY checks, the governor is not disposed towards the gubernatorial ambition of Senator Mustapha, as he prefers the next governor of the state to come from Kwara North Senatorial District of the state with the speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, as his preferred candidate.

The preference of the governor for Danladi-Salihu, according to further investigation was said to be causing ripples in certain quarters of the APC in the state.

The development it was further learnt was due to the purported interest of another serving senator from Kwara North, Senator Sadiq Umar, who was said to have been working underground within the APC to clinch the ticket of the party from the zone.

For the smooth emergence of Danladi-Salihu, a consultative forum has been on in the state so as to rally major stakeholders for his ambition.

The forum, it was gathered, involved youths, women, traditional rulers, leaders of thought across the three senatorial districts with the support of the governor.

An event was recently organised in Ajase-Ipo in Irepodun local government council area of the state to strategise more on the need for the Kwara North senatorial district to produce the next governor of the state.

The meeting was organised under the auspices of Kwara South Equity Advocates (K-SEA).

Speaking at the summit, the chairman of the forum, Alhaji Ibrahim Lawal, lamented that the people of the Kwara Central senatorial district of the state have had the governorship for over 20 years.

The summit had as it theme, “A new dawn in Kwara: Quest for Equity, fairness and justice; Kwara South for Kwara North”.

He explained that the late former Governor Muhammed Alabi Lawal had ruled the state for four years, former governor Bukola Saraki eight years while the incumbent governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq is currently on his second term of eight years now. He explained that they are all from the Kwara Central senatorial district.

He also said that former governor Abdulfatah Ahmed from the Kwara South senatorial district was in office for eight years while the people of the Kwara North senatorial district had not occupied the governorship position of the state since the return of democratic governance in 1999.

Alhaji Lawal highlighted the seeming injustices and inequities associated with the inequitable power sharing and governance in the state since 1999.

Lawal said the group was poised to contribute to the advancement of democratic governance and equitable development in Kwara.

It was gathered that agitations in support of the people of the Kwara North senatorial would also hold anytime from now in the other two senatorial districts of the state.

The cold war between Senator Mustapha and Governor AbdulRazaq could be attributed to the rising political profile of Senator Mustapha since the last general election in the state.

Political pundits believe that the successful outing of the APC in the state during the 2019 election was due to the huge popularity of Senator Mustapha because of his philanthropic gestures to the members of the APC and members of the public at large.

The huge financial support from Senator Mustapha, both before and after the elections, was believed to be a major headache to some powerful forces within the state APC who fear he could be a serious threat to their political control of the party if not checked.

For example, his past empowerment programmes received a lot of praises in the APC and the entire state.

Also, his facilitation of constituency projects for the people of Kwara Central senatorial district also received stiff opposition from some powerful forces in the state who believe if he was not stopped, he may pose a serious danger in their political calculations.

Despite the recent summit held at Ajase-Ipo in Irepodun local government council area to rally support for Northern agenda in the state, various communities in Kwara South Senatorial district have continued to bestow chieftaincy titles on Senator Mustapha.

The honour, according to THISDAY investigations, were due to his philanthropic gestures to both the low and high in the society.

Among such chieftaincy titles bestowed on Senator Mustapha include Ist Agbaakin of Isin Kingdom by His Royal Majesty, the Olusin of Isanlu-Isin, , Oba Solomon Oluwagbemiga Oloyede. The Turaki of Ilorin Emirate was on November 12, 2023, honoured with another chieftaincy title as the Maiyegun of Obbo-Aiyegunle by the Owa L’Obbo of Obbo-Aiyegunle, Oba Samuel Oluleye Adelodun.

Also recently, the Oloro of Oro-Ago Kingdom, His Royal Highness, Oba Johnson Olarewaju Dada, alongside his Council of Chiefs, announced the conferment of the chieftaincy title of Aree Atunluṣe of Oro-Ago Kingdom on the Senator at an elaborate ceremony.

But the cold war has deepened in recent times and is threatening to blow in full crisis with the donation of N500 million by Senator Mustapha to construct an ultra modern pavilion at the Palace Square of Emir of Ilorin during the 59th Annual meeting of the Ilorin Emirate Development Progressive Union (IEDPU) held at the forecourt of the Emir of Ilorin.

The pavilion is intended for use during the annual Ilorin Emirate Development Progressive Union meetings.

The annual meeting was held at the frontcourt of the Emir’s palace and with various personalities and well-wishers across the country and diaspora in attendance.

The announcement was made during the 2024 annual national meeting of sons and daughters of Ilorin indigenes under the auspices of Ilorin Emirate Development Progressives Union (IEDPU) with the state governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, physically present.

At the event, where Mustapha was represented by Alhaji Uthman Ottan, the immediate past IEDPU chairman, pledged ₦25 million in addition to the pavilion project, which is aimed at ending the practice of holding union meetings under rented canopies.

Other prominent figures also made significant contributions, including the chief launcher, Ambassador Yahaya Seriki, who donated ₦100 million, and Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who promised to complete all ongoing union projects.

The announcement according to THISDAY checks was said to have rattled the governor and other top political functionaries in attendance at the meeting.

The development it was learnt might have led to the removal of Senator Mustapha’s billboards erected at strategic locations in Ilorin to greet Christians in the state during Christmas and New Year celebrations.

Some of Senator Mustapha’s billboards removed at the strategic locations in Ilorin include Taiwo/Unity Road Junction, Police ‘A’ Division, Maraba, and the Tunde Idiagbon International Airport exit gate.

The removal of the billboards according to THISDAY checks, was said to have generated political tension in the state among members of the APC and supporters of Senator Mustapha.

They claimed that, the action of the state government to embark on this alleged pettiness was not the first time as the property of a chieftain of APC in the state, Hon. Moshood Mustapha, was also demolished along Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari Road, Ilorin for alleged violations of law.

But the General Manager of the Kwara State Signage and Advertising Agency, Alhaji Ismail Asukuti, who confirmed the removal of the billboards of Senator Mustapha, explained that some of the billboards were removed due to construction work in the area, as well as the non-payment of advertisement fees.

Asukuti said, “Senator Mustapha’s billboard at Police ‘A’ Division was removed because of the construction work in the area.

“The company handling the construction work on the overhead bridge had marked that the billboard in that area should be removed, while the billboard at Maraba was not paid for by the senator. This is against the advertising law.”

However, as the cold war between the duo rages, the move by the Senator Mustapha’s contractor handling the construction of the pavilion to commence work at the Emir’s Palace Square was stopped by the agents of the government, citing lack of approval of necessary documents to start the work in the area.

The development has also created a serious tension in Ilorin Emirate.

The officials who came from the State Town Planning and Development Authority, accompanied by security personnel were said to have ordered the stoppage of the ongoing construction of the project.

It was gathered that the government officials said the contractor failed to get necessary approvals for the construction of the pavilion.

A statement issued in Ilorin on the development by the Kwara State Geographical Information Services (KW-GIS) decried the failure of the contractor from getting necessary approvals before the commencement of its construction work.

The statement which was signed by the Press Secretary of the agency, Mr. Abdulrazaq Yusuf stated that, said, “anyone developing a project in the state ought to seek and secure appropriate land use approvals as stipulated under the law”.

The statement said, “This is a basic thing. Where people or agency of government overlook or neglect such basic requirements of physical development law, we have a duty to not just stop them but to also impose appropriate fine.

“The Pavilion is an urban development project under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture. It is a new construction.

“As such, appropriate approvals ought to be sought and secured before anything is done. All government projects, local, state, and federal, get such approvals.

“This has not been done for the project. We have accordingly directed workers on site to do the appropriate thing before they resume work.

“This is a standard urban development protocol. Development Control activities are carried out as spelt out in the law. It’s a tool for regulating developments and ensuring safety.

“The agency has a duty to maintain standards because the buck stops on its table if such a project collapses in the future.

“At the moment, Peace Pharmaceutical along Asa Dam bypass and HRA along Lubcon Road were carrying out large-scale construction activities without requisite approval.

“Both projects were sealed off while the proponents were mandated to carry out the requirements of the law before they could commence further work at the sites.”

In a bid to douse the tension, Senator Mustapha confirmed that the contractor handling the Sulu-Gambari Pavilion project neither sought nor obtained the necessary permit from the state government before commencing the project.

The statement issued in Ilorin, which he personally signed, came after the State Town Planning and Development Authority ordered the immediate stoppage of the project early on Saturday.

The statement reads, “Following the receipt of reports on the construction work at the Sulu-Gambari Pavilion, one of the constituency projects I facilitated as the Senator representing Kwara Central Senatorial District of Kwara State, I have confirmed that the contractor handling the project neither sought nor obtained the necessary permits from the appropriate agencies of the Kwara State Government, particularly the Kwara State Geographical Information Service (KWGIS), before commencing the project.”

The Senator further directed that the oversight be corrected immediately, ensuring that the work complies with the relevant government authorities’ directives.

He added, “Obtaining the necessary permit is a legal and procedural requirement, which I advise should be addressed before work resumes on the site.”

He encouraged the people to liaise and cooperate with all relevant government agencies.

Also, speaking on the development, the Executive Assistant to Senator Mustapha, Barrister Alabi Abdulkareem, said that, “It’s very unfortunate. This isn’t the first time Senator Saliu Mustapha, the Turaki of Ilorin Emirate, would be openly felicitating with the Christians on Christmas and New Year season, but this is the first time the billboards would be very brazenly vandalised in broad daylight”.

He said, “There’s no justification for the vandalism. We duly paid for the exposure of the campaigns to the relevant federal government agency.

“The only agency of government responsible for exposure of the material is the Advertisement Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON). It’s a federal agency, not state”.

Alabi added, “For the avoidance of doubt, it is not within the legal purview of the state, acting through Kwara State Signage and Advertisement Agency ( KWASAA) to vet or reject campaigns exposure.

“And that’s why it’s hard for us to believe that it’s an agency of the state government that’s responsible for this act of vandalism.

“Moreso, we believe that the fact that both Senator Saliu Mustapha and Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazak belong in the same political party, the APC, should matter if there’s any issues at all with the campaign.

“But be that as it may, we’ve duly reported to the relevant security agencies and we’re hoping that the criminal act would be thoroughly investigated and justice will eventually be served”.

He noted that, “We’re also believing that the Kwara State Government would be alarmed by this sheer act of wickedness, and they would be interested in bringing the culprits to book in order to forestall a recurrence of such criminal act.

“Senator Saliu Mustapha is a gentleman non-discriminatory politician. So, he would wait for the relevant agency of government to act first before taking further actions. But be rest assured that we’re not helpless”.

A the cold war between Senator Mustapha and Governor AbdulRazaq over who picks the APC governorship ticket in 2027 rages, it behoves the two leaders to come together for a round table conference in order to ensure the election process of an acceptable governorship candidate in the general election does not degenerate into crisis that will cost the party the Government House. A stitch in time saves nine.